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Chapter 3
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1
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Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove
Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known
all the wars of Canaan; |
2
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Only that the generations of the children of Israel
might know, to teach them war, at the least such as before
knew nothing thereof; |
3
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Namely, five lords of the Philistines, and all the
Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites that dwelt
in mount Lebanon, from mount Baalhermon unto the entering
in of Hamath. |
4
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And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether
they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD,
which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses. |
5
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And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites,
Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites,
and Jebusites: |
6
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And they took their daughters to be their wives, and
gave their daughters to their sons, and served their
gods. |
7
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And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of
the LORD, and forgat the LORD their God, and served Baalim
and the groves. |
8
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Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel,
and he sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim king
of Mesopotamia: and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim
eight years. |
9
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And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD,
the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel,
who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's
younger brother. |
10
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And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged
Israel, and went out to war: and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim
king of Mesopotamia into his hand; and his hand prevailed
against Chushanrishathaim. |
11
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And the land had rest forty years. And Othniel the
son of Kenaz died. |
12
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And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight
of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king
of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in
the sight of the LORD. |
13
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And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and
Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the
city of palm trees. |
14
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So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of
Moab eighteen years. |
15
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But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD,
the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of
Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children
of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab. |
16
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But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of
a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment
upon his right thigh. |
17
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And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab:
and Eglon was a very fat man. |
18
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And when he had made an end to offer the present, he
sent away the people that bare the present. |
19
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But he himself turned again from the quarries that
were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto
thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood
by him went out from him. |
20
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And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer
parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said,
I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out
of his seat. |
21
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And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger
from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly: |
22
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And the haft also went in after the blade; and the
fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw
the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out. |
23
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Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the
doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them. |
24
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When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they
saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked,
they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer
chamber. |
25
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And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold,
he opened not the doors of the parlor; therefore they
took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord
was fallen down dead on the earth. |
26
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And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond
the quarries, and escaped unto Seirath. |
27
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And it came to pass, when he was come, that he blew
a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim, and the children
of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before
them. |
28
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And he said unto them, Follow after me: for the LORD
hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand.
And they went down after him, and took the fords of Jordan
toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over. |
29
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And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand
men, all lusty, and all men of valor; and there escaped
not a man. |
30
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So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel.
And the land had rest fourscore years. |
31
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And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, which slew
of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad: and
he also delivered Israel. |
